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Here’s Why Awkwafina Will Be The Best iHeartRadio MMVAs Host Yet

Recently announced as our iHeartRadio MMVAs host, Awkwafina is a quirky, well-dressed talent who is more than excited to take Queen Street West by storm on Sunday, August 26.

Over the years, we’ve had a number of stellar hosts. From the Jonas Brothers in 2009 to Kendall and Kylie in 2014—each host brought their own sense of flare and this year will be no different. Don’t believe us? Keep scrolling. Here’s why Awkwafina will be the best iHeartRadio MMVAs host yet.

She’s got a comedic side

Born with the name Nora Lum, Awkwafina learned to embrace humour from an early age, after her mom passed away when she was four years old. Transitioning from using comedy as a defence mechanism to a career focus, Awkwafina’s self-deprecating humour has inspired her music and acting ventures.

In 2014, Awkwafina landed herself a spot on MTV’s Girl Code, a comedy show where women sit down to talk about all things female. On the show, Awkwafina bared her honesty and humour in a way that made us all feel like she could be one of our best friends.

Awkwafina’s humour followed her into her role in Ocean’s 8, where she played a pickpocket who also managed to steal every scene she was in.

While on the iHeartRadio MMVAs stage, it’s almost guaranteed that Awkwafina will make fun of herself and the entire situation in a way that will have us all dying of laughter at home and in the audience.

She’s unapologetically her

“Who the f**k is Awkwafina? That’s everyone’s reaction,” Awkwafina laughed during an interview with The Guardian.

Though Lum uses Awkwafina as an alter ego, like Beyonce and Sasha Fierce, Awkwafina is an amplified version of herself––a version that Lum uses to turn quirkiness into a superpower of sorts.

Using humour as her Captain America shield, it seems as though Lum has never been afraid to put herself out there. Case in point? “My Vag,” the viral three-minute song that cost Lum her day job but launch-started her career in 2012.

While rapping about female genitalia in oversized disco glasses didn’t win over every viewer’s heart, the song did raise feminist discussions and opened the doors for Lum to be her genuine self for the world to see.

“I don’t care if people think I look stupid,” Lum said to Forbes. “I know what I’m good at on camera…you have to be visually confident. If you are, it shows. You have to do what fits for you, and you need to know what you can’t do because it doesn’t look right and feel right.”

Awkwafina’s unapologetic energy is exactly what we need on the iHeartRadio MMVAs stage. Her refreshing personality gives her the potential to deliver an entertaining show while also providing some hidden gems of knowledge that we can all take home with us.

She’s woke

Though Awkwafina makes for great comedic music, television shows, and movies, with her humour comes lessons on feminism, representation, and race.

In the 2016 documentary Bad Rap, the rapper discusses her struggles with credibility as an Asian-American actor, rapper, and comedian trying to make it in Hollywood.

The topic of representation and tokenism follows Awkwafina as she gears up for the premiere of Crazy Rich Asians, a screen adaption of the best-selling novel by Kevin Kwan of the same name. In the film, Awkwafina plays Goh Peik Lin, the hilarious best friend of the movie’s protagonist.

Crazy Rich Asians will be the first Hollywood film in a quarter of a century to feature an all Asian/Asian-American cast, a feat that Awkwafina is proud of, having rarely seen someone like her on television as a child.

“You need some representation growing up. Because if you don’t have that, you can’t materialize any dream,” Awkwafina said to Vogue earlier this month.

The iHeartRadio MMVAs has never had an Asian-American host before and we think it’s about damn time. Talent goes far beyond issues of race, gender, and sexuality and we believe Awkwafina is the perfect host to showcase that. Being woke isn’t a trend, it’s a necessity.

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